Khmer Magic Music Bus, Cambodia
with collaborators Arn Chorn-Pond and Thon Seyma
Since the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s, when an estimated 90% of musicians were killed, few Cambodian people have had the opportunity to engage with the traditional music of their homeland. This is especially true for people living rurally, where resources and infrastructure for learning, teaching, and making music are very limited.
This case study presents the Khmer Magic Music Bus, a group of musicians who travel through the provinces sharing traditional music through performances, workshops, and other activities.
A school student joins Khmer Magic Music Bus musicians Sela Matra (holding microphone) and Pich Sarath (clapping) in a demonstration of traditional Cambodian instrument chapei dong weng IN Kampong Cham province. Photo: Thon Dika.
Founded by Arn Chorn-Pond and Thorn Seyma, the Khmer Magic Music Bus is serving to heal Cambodia’s traumatic past, revive its unique musical practices in the present, and strengthen its prospects for a culturally vibrant future.
This case study contends that music sustainability is a matter of cultural justice. It illustrates how deeply political and socioeconomic circumstances intertwine with people’s capacity to engage in fulfilling cultural lives.
Khmer Magic Music Bus musicians introduce traditional cambodian instruments to the community of Bramath Dey village, Kampong Thom province. Photo: Thon Dika.
